Grain-drill



(No Model.)

W. P ELAM.

' GRAIN DRILL No. 325,512. Patented Sept. 1, 1885;

MLWFEJER \/ITNEE|EEEF i @YQMSMLM.

ETERS, hmoLilhcgfiphar. Wuhingtou. D. C-

STNr s PATENT QEFICE.

WILLOUGHBY P.- ELA-M, OFDUBUQUE, IOWA.

GRAIN-DRILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.3 25,512,' datedSeptember 1, 1885. I Application filed June 18, 1855. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLOUGHBY 1?. ELAM, of Dubuque, in the county ofDubuqueand State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement inGrain-Drills; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description of the same, reference being had to-theaccompanyingdrawing, and to the letters of referencemarked thereen.

My invention relates particularly to the class of grain-drills whereinthe planting and, covering'devices are each combined with an independentvertical spring; and the improvements which it embodies consist,principally,

of an adjustable connection between these springs, whereby theirexpansive action can be extended,.either separately or together, so

as to adjust either or both of the planting and oovering devices to theinequalities of the 2o ground surface; and my improvements furtherinclude a trash-cleaner located at the front end of each shoeorfurrow-opener, together with means for exerting an elastic pressureupon the same and for adjusting it tothe inequalities of theground-surface, all as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

For the better understanding of my im.

' provements, together with the details of construction and arrangement,attention is invited to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates aside elevation, partly in perspective, of a set of planting and coveringdevices of a graindrill, including my improvements as applied to thesame.

Referring to the drawing, A denotes one of the side bars of the mainframe of a sulky grain-drill, B the shoeor furrow-opener, 0

the fluke, and D the covering-wheel, all of a well known constructionand arrangement, except that the bars a a, which connect the fluke andcovering-wheel, are pivoted at their forward ends to clips a a on thefront of the fluke, instead of to clips on the rear, whereby the wheelruns steadier, and thereis less tend, ency of its having the wabblingmotion from side to side, because the bars are stayed by the sides ofthe fluke. The shoe B and fluke O are secured against lateral play by atie-rod, a and the vertical rod E, surrounded by the spiral spring E,which has bearing upon the fluke by any suitable connection, and theproper position of the covering-wheel D is spiral springs which encirclesaid rods.

constant pressure uponthe flukeand covering wheel, their expansiveaction did not exceed three or four inches, and consequently theirpressure exhausted when either the fluke or wheel dropped into adead-furroW-that was over four inches deep.

To overcome this objection and to dispense with the two horizontal barsheretofore employed, I use the connecting yoke or arch G, theends ofwhich are perforated to allow the vertical rods E and F to pass throughand furnish bearings for the upper ends of the curved portion of thisyoke or arch between its two ends is provided with a series of per- Theforations, c c, and to this portion is connected a horizontal bar, H, byan intermediate link, d, which is pivoted by means of a pin passedthrough one of the perforations o, and through this link. This bar H isrigidly secured to one end of a curved arm, I, and the other 'end ofthis arm has rigid connections with a second horizontal bar, H, whichhas loose hearings in the side bars, AA, of the main frame. On theextreme. end of this bar H is rigidly mounted a toothed segment, J, inwhichlpperates a spring-pawl, e, of a trigger-lever, K, loosely hungupon the bar H. Another springpawl, f, has engagement with this segmentJ, and by releasing said pawl from engagement with the latter andemploying the lever K the yoke or arch G can be raised-or lowered tocompress or expand the springsE, and F,so as to lengthen or shortentheir expansive action.

and it is desired to give the action of the springs a great play-sayseven or eight inchesthe operator, by means of an upward lift of thelever K, turns the segment J and sets the same accordingly. This actiondepresses the bar H and the connecting yoke or arch G, and the springsare co1npressed,so that when either the fluke or covering-wheeldropsintoa dead- IOO furrow its spring willexpand-sufficiently tomaintain the original pressure.

If the operator desires an equal pressure on both the fluke and thewheel at the same time, the connection between the bar H and yoke orarch G is made at the center of the latter;

but if he desires a greater pressure on one than on the other theconnection is made nearer to the side where the greater'pressur'e iswanted.

The next feature of this drill is the trashcleaner L, consisting ofthree or more curved tangential spokes or teeth, the hub of which isrigidly mounted upon ahorizontal shaft, L, which shaft is hung in frontof the shoes or furrow-openers B by means of the hangers M, suspendedfrom the side bars, A, at the two sides of the frame. Each hanger vM isslotted at its lower end at h, for the purpose of receiving the shaft Land allowing vertical adjust-' ment of the same.

The trashcleaners, together with their shaft L, are raised or lowered bya lever, P, which is pivoted or hung near its center to the side bar, A,of the main frame, and issecured at its front end to a horizontal bar orshaft, P. The intermediate connections between this bar P and the shaftL at each end of the same consist ofa rod, N, secured at its lower endto a small sleeve (not shown) encircling the shaft L, and passing at itsupper end through the end of the bar P, and surrounded by a spiralspring, 0, in all respects similar to the rods and springs which areabove the fluke and covering-wheel.

The shaft L, with its trash-cleaners, is rofated preferably by a belt orendless-chain connection with theaxle or riding-wheel of 5 thegrain-drill.

If there is trash to be cleaned from the land, the handle end of thelever P is raised, and the shaft L and wheels L are thereby lowered tothe ground,andthe'latter in rotating catch the trash and throw itlengthwise alongthe sides of the shoes or furrow-openers; but if theland is free from trash the lever P is depressed at its rear end, andthis-raises thesh aft L, with its wheels L, tip-into the slots in thehangers M. The spring 0 has the effectto adapt the trash cleaners toinequalities of the soil.

I do not wish to be confined to any particular construction andarrangement of the innproved features of my drill, as changes could bemade which would not alter the cardinal idea of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a grain-drill, the combination, with I Y the fluke andcovering-wheel, of independent pressure-springs and an intermediateconnection between said springs, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

- 2. In a grain-drill; combination, with the fluke and covering-wheel,of independent pressure-springs and an intermediate adjustableconnection between said springs for regulating their tension,substantially as described. 3. In a grain-drill, the combination, withthe fluke and covering-wheel, of independent pressure-springs, anadjustable connection between the two, and means for increasing thetension of one spring over that of the other,

substantially as described, and for the purpose 1 set forth. v

4. In a grain-drill, the combination, with the fluke and covering-wheel,of independent vertical connecting-rods, surrounding spiral springs, anadjustable connecting-yoke, a horizontal bar having adjustableconnection with said yoke, and means for raising and lowering said bar,substantially as described.

5. In a grain-drill, the combination, with the fluke and covering-wheel,of a pair of straight parallel bars supporting the wheel at their rearends, and pivoted at their front ends only to the front of the fluke,substantially as described, shown, and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a grain-drill, the combination of a trash-cleaner arranged infront alongside each shoe or furrow-opener and an independent verticalspring exerting an adjustable pressure upon the same, substantially asdescribed. 7. In a grain-drill, the combination of a trash-cleanerarranged in front alongside each shoe or furrow-opener, an independentvertical spring pressing upon the same, and a lever for adjusting thepressure of said spring, substantially as described.

8. In a grain-drill, the combination of a pair of slotted hangers, ashaft having bearings in the slots ofsaid hangers, a series oftrashcleaners mounted on said shaft, an independent vertical rod andsurrounding spring at each end of the shaft, and bearing upon the same,and a connecting-lever fulcrumed upon the main frame, substantially asdescribed.

9. In a grain-drill, the combination of a pair of slotted hangers, aseries of trash-cleaners mounted on a shaft having end bearings in theslots of said hangers, an independent vertical rod and surroundingspring at each end of said shaft, an upper horizontal connecting bar,and a lever for elevating and depressing said bar, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLOUGHBY P. ELAM.

' Witnesses:

MONROE M. OADY, TONY BECK.

